Justice in America; It’s Complicated

Mildred Robertson

According to civil rights leader Dr. William Barber, the outcome of two racially tinged trials in America with divergent outcomes is, well to say it simply, “complicated.” Barber was referring to the Kyle Rittenhouse verdict in Kenosha WI, and the Ahmaud Arbery trial in Georgia.

While a predominantly white jury with just one black seated in the Georgia case took hours to find guilty three white vigilantes who stalked and killed 25-year-old Arbery as he jogged down a public street; a white jury in Wisconsin found Kyle Rittenhouse innocent of injuring one and murdering 2 Black Lives Matter protestors. Rittenhouse claimed self-defense despite coming to the protest armed with an AR 15, loaded with 30 rounds of hollow-point bullets. The first man he shot was unarmed. He was then pursued by a man wielding his skateboard, and another who had a handgun. Rittenhouse shot and killed one of his pursuers and injured the other.

The Rittenhouse verdict, while disappointing, surprised no one. The same cannot be said of the Arbery trial where a jury consisting of one black and 11 white jurors took little time to come back with a precise verdict that spoke directly to the offenses of each of the three defendants on trial. While defense lawyers pandered to what they hoped would be a racist jury, the prosecutor laid out a roadmap of facts that led to a definitive guilty verdict for all three of the men charged.

One trial stood as an example of what jurisprudence in America should be, while the other held the systems glaring failures up to the light. One trial was based on facts and evidence, while the other was based on vigilante justice.

The judge in the Rittenhouse trial showed a bias toward the defendant from an initial pretrial motion to determine whether those slain on the streets of Kenosha could be referred to as victims; to the point where he sat with the defendant as the jury viewed presentations by the attorneys. Throughout the trial, the judge scolded, yelled at, and berated the prosecuting attorney, blocking any opportunity he took to humanize Rittenhouse’s victims or to show he was the aggressor.

In contrast, the Arbery trial judge showed no signs of bias for or against the defendants. But that trial did not occur without issues of prejudicial behavior by the justice system. First, it was months after he was shot down in the streets before Arbery’s attackers were even arrested. The first call the shooter made was to District Attorney Jackie Johnson; now indicted for her actions. She told him to go home and wash his hands. Arbery’s attackers were arrested after a video of the encounter was released to the public. Linda Dunikoski the prosecutor who so eloquently tried the case was brought in from Cobb County. She successfully prosecuted the case, demolishing the defendant’s attempt to establish self-defense. All three of Arbery’s assailants are expected to spend the rest of their lives in prison, and still face federal charges for his murder that could result in additional life sentences.

The sentencing in the Arbery case is appropriate to deter others who might take similar actions in the future. Furthermore, Georgia has changed its laws to make it clearer when it would be legal to make a citizen’s arrest. Arbery’s mother said she thought she would never see this day but could look at the empty seat around her Thanksgiving table knowing that her prayers have been answered and that Ahmaud can now rest in peace.

While Ahmaud may now be able to rest, we cannot. These two disparate outcomes show the imbalance in the American justice system. One should not be afforded justice based on the luck of the draw in a jury pool, defense lawyer or prosecutor, or judge. Until these disparities are addressed, volatile instances of racial violence will continue to occur around this nation. Until America admits the role race plays in our criminal justice system, the phrase “Liberty and Justice for All,” is just words. 

In America race colors how the system views the crime; sometimes even determining that no crime was committed, as in the Rittenhouse case. You see, it’s complicated.

How Biden’s Build Back Better Legislation Will Affect You

Democrats Push for Social Change

Mildred Robertson

All politics is local. That may not be clear from the hoopla occurring in Washington, D.C. over President Joe Biden’s “Build Back Better” (BBB) initiative. But this bill is packed full of benefits that will transform North Carolina, and other states across this nation for years to come. We are talking about historic investments in child care, affordable housing, education, and health and family home care that will recreate our economy around today’s realities. 

We no longer live in an agrarian society where generations of family members live together to provide support for the young and the old. Our reality today generally requires a two-family income. That means families are left to grapple with child care and elder care, while both parents hold down full-time jobs. Not only must earned income go toward childcare and eldercare, but the costs for caring for our loved ones are exorbitant.

The North Carolina Democratic Party states that the average annual cost of child care for a toddler is $8,746. BBB will ensure that access to high-quality child care will consume no more than 7% of a family’s income. In North Carolina, that could affect close to 630,000 young children. Not only will this bill help with child-care costs, it will fund universal, high-quality preschool for children throughout the nation. Through BBB, more than 154,103 children ages 3-4 years old will gain access to North Carolina’s existing preschool program.

While addressing quality-of-life issues for families in this country, BBB also takes direct aim at the housing crisis. The NCDP says more than 600,000 renters in North Carolina spend more than 30% of their income on rent. Homeownership, they say, is out of the reach for many families. BBB addresses both these issues by expanding rental assistance and focusing on increasing the supply of high-quality affordable housing. 

Other issues this bill addresses is the need to expand health care coverage and lower costs. The bill will close the Medicaid coverage gap while reducing premiums, making insurance more accessible and affordable. That translates into 388,000 uninsured individuals who will gain coverage in North Carolina alone. NCDP says that 229,100 North Carolinians will, on average, save hundreds of dollars per year on insurance.

Additionally, “Build Back Better” will support long-term family care needs and will cut taxes for workers and families. It is estimated that the extended Child Tax Credit increase will become permanent and will provide a tax cut of up to $1,500 for 593,000 low-wage workers in North Carolina.

So as you weigh the importance of the Washington beltway chatter about the Biden administration and his “Build Back Better” program, I encourage each of you to examine how these cutting-edge policies will affect your daily lives. I believe the bill is transformational. I believe it positions America to be on the cutting edge of social, business and political innovation for the coming millennia. And I really do think it will make America better.

So ignore the chatter. Talk to your local legislators, read your local newspapers. Do your research. I believe you will find that BBB will help create a better life for you today and for generations to come.

Kyle Rittenhouse: Murderer or Martyr?

 By Mildred Robertson

Today we watched baby-faced Kyle Rittenhouse bawl on the witness stand like the child that he is, as he recounted the tragic day that he shot and killed demonstrators in Kenosha, Wisconsin. It is said that Kyle’s tears seemed to move some of the jurors who probably sympathized with him because of his youth.  They may be weighing his actions based upon his adolescence. They may be thinking that no one his age should have had to make the decisions he made that night.  And they are right, because Kyle Rittenhouse should not have been there.

The fact is, Rittenhouse crossed states lines, illegally armed himself, attended a MAGA rally, and went to the protest looking for trouble. He found what he was looking for.  Rittenhouse murdered two people and wounded another.

He claimed it was self-defense. It is hard to argue with his claim, because the folks who could rebut his testimony about purported threats to his safety prior to the shootings are dead. He claims he was threatened by the first person he shot, after which other protestors pursued and threatened him and became his target.

While the defense has done a less than stellar job of bringing it out in court, Rittenhouse set in motion the events that led to the fatal shootings when he decided that he would become a vigilante peace-keeper during the unrest in Kenosha. It is my belief that he went to Kenosha in order to do just what he did. He wanted to be famous, and he has achieved that goal. Since the murders, he has been praised by the MAGA crowd as a hero and martyr.

Whether found guilty or not, he was no hero. Rittenhouse was at a place he should not have been, carrying a weapon he should not have had, taking actions he should not have taken. He did not live in Kenosha, and police had already called curfew. So when Rittenhouse illegally drove to Kenosha (He had no driver’s license), to participate in the unrest, he was wrong. When he strapped on an AR 47 long gun loaded with 223 full-metal jacket ammunition, he was wrong. When he entered a cordoned-off area of town through police barricades he was wrong. When he failed to heed police announcements to vacate the area due to curfew he was wrong.  

No one knows whether Anthony Huber or Joseph Rosenbaum threatened to kill Rittenhouse that fateful night. They are dead and cannot speak for themselves.  The third victim, Gaige Grosskreutz, who was armed and pursued Rittenhouse after the shootings, says that he had his hands raised, yet Rittenhouse still shot him.  But the fact is, these events were set in motion by Rittenhouse himself and his actions. It was he who precipitated the events that led to the death of two human beings, and the injury of another.

While watching the proceedings today, it is clear that the judge is inclined toward the defense, openly displaying his disdain for the prosecution. It appeared that at every turn, he took the opportunity to chastise the prosecution, while giving leeway to the defense. Let us hope that the jury looks at the facts, and not his youth, or his white skin to determine his guilt or innocence. Let us hope that the justice that would be meted out to a black protestor in the same circumstance will be afforded to Kyle Rittenhouse.